used ukulele???

It is risky, but that risk can be mitigated on UU if the user is well known to members. In this case, it looks like the seller is a junior member, but you might be able to ask for a reference from other members.

As much as I love Opios, they're not Kamakas... If you can afford the Kamaka and you manage to satisfy yourself about the seller, that's definitely the way to go in my opinion.
 
As much as I like my tenor Opio, in this case, I'd go for the Kamaka. You'll want a Hawaiian made Koa uke sooner or later anyway, and Kamaka is the real deal. Good price on that used one, too.
 
It's risky to buy a new one sight unseen, even from HMS. I'd go for the Kamaka, personally.
 
Buy a uke already you're driving us all nuts

They have and learned first hand the word of an online store who say they setup each instrument is untrue.

They have shown interest in this used ukulele here http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...-For-Sale-Koaloha-Pineapple-soprano-UK-Seller That is what I would make an offer on personally.

From my own personal experience buying many ukuleles used through the marketplace is its a crap shoot. I've had great purchases and some not so great. It is what it is buying anything before its in your hands. Some are selling their headache or mistakes, some sell great ukuleles while others yet are just ignorant to the issues their item may have.

Good Luck Martynas

~AL~
 
:confused:Cant drive me nuts, it be long winding road and got there all by my self
 
The Kamaka is a good deal, and you can hear and see the exact instrument you'd be getting. You also won't have to deal with VAT and such, which makes it even more attractive.
 
Buy a uke already you're driving us all nuts

I agree with this sentiment.

Getting a brand new uke has the advantages of being brand new. No one else has used the ukulele, and it comes freshly setup from the good folks at The Ukulele Site.

Getting that used Kamaka has its advantages. The same ukulele brand new would be a lot more expensive, so you get the opportunity to own one without paying as much. However, the disadvantage is that it has been used by the previous owner(s), so it is not in that "brand new" pristine state.


Martynas, please do us a favour and buy an ukulele.
Just buy any ukulele, please. Any ukulele in that price bracket from a reputable seller will be a good result.
You can't go wrong. Just stick with a decision damn it!

It won't be until a few years one can bring out the potential of a high-end ukulele anyway. In the first year or more of playing ukulele, a $1000 Kamaka will sound the same as a $30 Makala in the hands of a beginner. I got to witness this first hand the other day when I was getting some strap pins installed on an ukulele in store. A beginner was looking for a new, first ukulele and tried all the ukes in the store, ranging from the cheap laminates, all the way up to the all-solid expensive ukes. The way she played it... all of them sounded the same <_<

By the same token, a cheap ukulele will sound fantastic in the hands of an experienced and skilled player.

So the point is, just buy a good uke and focus on improving yourself. That will matter more in the long run.
 
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Martynas, please do us a favour and buy an ukulele.
Just buy any ukulele, please. Any ukulele in that price bracket from a reputable seller will be a good result.
You can't go wrong. Just stick with a decision damn it!

It won't be until a few years one can bring out the potential of a high-end ukulele anyway. In the first year or more of playing ukulele, a $1000 Kamaka will sound the same as a $30 Makala in the hands of a beginner. I got to witness this first hand the other day when I was getting some strap pins installed on an ukulele in store. A beginner was looking for a new, first ukulele and tried all the ukes in the store, ranging from the cheap laminates, all the way up to the all-solid expensive ukes. The way she played it... all of them sounded the same <_<

By the same token, a cheap ukulele will sound fantastic in the hands of an experienced and skilled player.

So the point is, just buy a good uke and focus on improving yourself. That will matter more in the long run.

I bought a $50 uke that wasn't set up. Now I have a $60 uke that was set up. For now, that is perfectly fine for me to get going on. Will I eventually upgrade? Yes. However, if I bought a $1000 uke right now, I'd be a lot more worried about hauling it around with me (I like to go sit in the park and play) or damaging it and I just wouldn't have as much fun. The difference I'm going to get in sound right now is not worth the extra money or insanity of trying to find the "perfect" uke. It's a distinct possibility that you'll love whatever uke you get. It is also a distinct possibility that you'll start learning more about what you would like in your next uke and can make a better decision after you've been playing for a bit.

So, buy a uke from someone who does a proper setup. Even if it's a much cheaper one to play with while you ruminate over the possibilities for your next uke. PLAYING is what will make your uke sound best, not a solid koa top or rosewood fretboard.
 
I bought a $50 uke that wasn't set up. Now I have a $60 uke that was set up. For now, that is perfectly fine for me to get going on. Will I eventually upgrade? Yes. However, if I bought a $1000 uke right now, I'd be a lot more worried about hauling it around with me (I like to go sit in the park and play) or damaging it and I just wouldn't have as much fun. The difference I'm going to get in sound right now is not worth the extra money or insanity of trying to find the "perfect" uke. It's a distinct possibility that you'll love whatever uke you get. It is also a distinct possibility that you'll start learning more about what you would like in your next uke and can make a better decision after you've been playing for a bit.

So, buy a uke from someone who does a proper setup. Even if it's a much cheaper one to play with while you ruminate over the possibilities for your next uke. PLAYING is what will make your uke sound best, not a solid koa top or rosewood fretboard.

And part 2 of my story of the encounter in the music store is that I stepped in to help her (and her mom) make a choice.

The music store staff was a bit hopeless in offering selection tips (I overheard things like "Do you want the black coloured one or the wood coloured one?")

So I stepped in, and gave them a very simple summary of how the different ukuleles have different setups, affecting play-ability, and the difference between laminate-tops and solid-tops.

In the end, they ended up taking home a laminate Luna "Martini" ukulele. The design obviously appealed to the girl (although I have an odd feeling that the girl was probably a bit too innocent to know what a Martini is), and when I played it, it had the best stock setup and didn't sound bad either.

http://www.lunaguitars.com/acousticproduct/ukepinkmartini.php


edit: Ugh, now I want one.. because Pink Martini (the jazz band) is one of my all time favourite group of musicians.
 
The Kamaka seems it would be a better deal.
If you end up not liking it... you won't lose much in the re-sale.
The Koaloha... I'm guessing will lose more value since it's starting from new and isnt the hawaii line.

Also... the Kamaka should be a better instrument than the opio.
 
I say learn how to play the one you have, keep looking and dreaming about ukes, you'll see the one for you someday and won't have to ask anybody. I can see you already have UAS really bad, hope you have lots of money!!! :shaka:
 
I'm slow to pull the pin myself. I remember two years ago when I found UU and I convinced myself that I was going to learn to play the ukulele, it was the first part of March. I knew that I was going back to the States the first week of April, and I didn't want to buy one and have to turn around and drag it North. So I waited for more than a month. I was so full of questions for that month.
 
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It's so hard when you are starting out with ukulele to decide "what" to buy- so I sympathize with you.
I learned early on that I likely would buy more than one before I figured out the size I preferred (soprano, concert etc), the tone I liked and the feel (neck width and depth)
Don't even start me on strings ROTFL.
I've bought from a local store with no setup, HMS with excellent set-up, and used from a UU member. I've been very fortunate to have had great luck in all of the transactions but certainly I think there is much less risk buying from a reputable shop that does the setup or from a well known UU member. Early on it is difficult to know if something even sounds good until you develop the playing skills and training your ears to notice differences - so I can see why many recommend just sticking with what you have but that does nothing to quell the desire to buy another uke.:)
Practically, when you are still not yet sure of what your preferences are or if this is something you will stick with, then cost is likely to be important factor. I started out with a few low end laminates until I was sure of what I wanted. It's not difficult to resell a good instrument without a great loss but you do have to deal with ever rising shipping costs etc. The cost difference between these two is not that great so I think you will be happy with either. Know that if you stick with this it is likely that it won't be your last purchase LOL. Whatever brand, size, style you don't buy this time - you will likely have an opportunity to get in the future.
 
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